Over the previous 3 school years, students should have become quite familiar with living things. In this unit, we add to that understanding by contrasting living things with non-living things and once-living things. Students focus closely on the characteristics of these things so that they’re able to identify and sort them. During the course of these 9-10 lessons, students cover all the relevant components of the Science Understanding components for the Australian National Curriculum for Biological Sciences.
Compare characteristics of living and non-living things and examine the differences between the life cycles of plants and animals
Examine how people use data to develop scientific explanations
Consider how people use scientific explanations to meet a need or solve a problem
Pose questions to explore observed patterns and relationships and make predictions based on observations
Follow procedures to make and record observations, including making formal measurements using familiar scaled instruments and using digital tools as appropriate
Use provided scaffolds to plan and conduct investigations to answer questions or test predictions, including identifying the elements of fair tests, and considering the safe use of materials and equipment
Construct and use representations, including tables, simple column graphs and visual or physical models, to organise data and information, show simple relationships and identify patterns
Compare findings with those of others, consider if investigations were fair, identify questions for further investigation and draw conclusions
Write and create texts to communicate findings and ideas for identified purposes and audiences, using scientific vocabulary and digital tools as appropriate
Living things can be grouped on the basis of observable features and can be distinguished from non-living things
Science involves making predictions and describing patterns and relationships
Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions
With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on prior knowledge
With guidance, plan and conduct scientific investigations to find answers to questions, considering the safe use of appropriate materials and equipment
Consider the elements of fair tests and use formal measurements and digital technologies as appropriate, to make and record observations accurately
Use a range of methods including tables and simple column graphs to represent data and to identify patterns and trends
Compare results with predictions, suggesting possible reasons for findings
Reflect on investigations, including whether a test was fair or not
Represent and communicate observations, ideas and findings using formal and informal representations
Questions, plans and conducts scientific investigations, collects and summarises data and communicates using scientific representations
Selects and uses materials, tools and equipment to develop solutions for a need or opportunity
Compares features and characteristics of living and non-living things
Describes how agricultural processes are used to grow plants and raise animals for food, clothing and shelter
Investigates regular changes caused by interactions between the Earth and the Sun, and changes to the Earth’s surface
Describes how adding or removing heat causes a change of state
Investigates the suitability of natural and processed materials for a range of purposes
Describes the characteristics and effects of common forms of energy, such as light and heat
Describes how contact and non-contact forces affect an object’s motion
Defines problems, describes and follows algorithms to develop solutions
Describes how digital systems represent and transmit data
Living things can be grouped on the basis of observable features and can be distinguished from non-living things
Science knowledge helps people to understand the effects of their actions
With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and predict what might happen based on prior knowledge
Safely use appropriate materials, tools, equipment and technologies
Use formal measurements in the collection and recording of observations
Suggest ways to plan and conduct investigations to find answers to questions including consideration of the elements of fair tests
Use a range of methods including tables and column graphs to represent data and to identify patterns and trends
Compare results with predictions, suggesting possible reasons for findings
Reflect on an investigation, including whether a test was fair or not
Represent and communicate observations, ideas and findings to show patterns and relationships using formal and informal scientific language
In this unit, students will:
Lesson 1
Living Things
In this lesson students will discuss what they have already learned about living things, plus a few new things as well.
Lesson 2
Non-Living Things
In this lesson students will investigate non-living things.
Lesson 3
Once-Living Things
In this lesson students will investigate once-living things.
Lesson 4
Classifying and Grouping
In this lesson students will learn how scientists use their observation skills to group objects or things.
Lesson 5
Classification of Animals
In this lesson students will learn how scientists classify animals into groups.
Lesson 6
Life Cycles
In this lesson students will learn about the life cycles of different animals. They will compare metamorphic and non-metamorphic life cycles as well as the activities animals complete at different stages of their life cycles.
Lesson 7
Classification of Plants
In this lesson students will go a plant safari, sorting plants the same way botanist's would have.
Lesson 8
Products of Living Things
In this lesson students will look at products that are made from once-living things.
Lesson 9
Classifying Living and Non-Living Things
In this lesson students will undertake a quiz which will test the students on what they have learnt in this unit.
These charts describe each of the five senses: taste, touch, smell, hearing and sight.
The WALT, WILF & TIB posters were created by request and consist of 14 pages including: WALT - We are learning to... WILF - What I'm...
Sort living, once-living and non-living things with this set of posters. This would make a wonderful activity for students to present with i...
The Properties of Living Things posters will help students identify characteristics of living things such as breathing, nutrition, reproduct...
This set of blank word wall cards allows you to add vocabulary to your word wall as the need arises. Create your own customised word wall ba...
Students will sort items under the categories, Living Things and Non-Living Things. They will recognise the characteristics of both categori...
The Living, Non-Living and Once-Living Things Sort requires students to recognise the range of different living things and sort them based o...
This is a small set of cards depicting articles of clothing, that students will try and sort. Initially they will not receive any instructio...
This set of cards is identical to the WS5, but has some additional cards the teacher can add into the mix once the class has decided on thei...
There are 21 colourful A4 charts depict Australian animals. Choose to print them 2 or more to a page if you require flashcard size.
This resource contains A5 pictures of a duckling, chick, llama, turkey, cow, horse, rooster, donkey, piglet, rabbit, foal, calf, bull, goat,...
This set of information sheets were created by request and features mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians & fish.
Animals come in all shapes and sizes. Looking at some big and small animals, students can identify suitable habitats for each animal and dec...
Living things live in places where their needs are met, such as land and water.
This is a visual flowchart which helps students sort animals into mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, or amphibians Students see how vertebra...
This is a visual depiction of the Life Cycle of a Bilby, perfectly suited to studies of the life cycles of living things in Year 4.
This is a visual depiction of the Life Cycle of a Frog, perfectly suited to studies of the life cycles of living things in Year 4.
Presentation introducing insect life cycles to students, including metamorphosis. Outlines how environmental factors impact the life cycles...
Presentation introducing non-insect animal life cycles to students, including metamorphosis. Outlines how environmental factors impact the l...
Students will learn about the different stages of an orangutan's life with this engaging resource.
These life cycle puzzles are perfect for examining the differences between the life cycles of different animals. The 11 different puzzle...
In this activity, students identify the materials that familiar items are made of, and whether they come from living (or once-living) or non...
This checklist is an easy way for students to identify if something is a living thing. Copies of the card can be printed and made available,...
This is a copy of the definition of Living, Non-living and Once -living things for students to cut and paste into their science notebooks. T...
Students sequence a selection of life cycles and then create one of their own Introduction to life cycles, part of the year 4 unit on lif...
Deepen students' understanding of plant characteristics with this interactive worksheet focused on comparing different types of plants.
This assessment and self evaluation will help you check student understanding and allow you to assess their progress. This quiz can be us...
